Visiting the cheetah: this singular hobby was the most
outstanding aspect of the trip. The Savannah Cheetah Foundation
has 14 cheetahs and three of them are tame outreach cats. We spent
many, many hours with the cats sometimes petting them but mostly
marvelling how we all can share the same space.

After we dropped our bags
at the lodge, one of the first things we did is visit the cheetah.
At the time of our visit, the Savannah had 14 cheetah living in
about eight gigantic enclosures. There were four older adults,
Penny, Mufasa, Savimbi, and most appropriately, Savannah. And
there was an 18 year-old matriarch, Vicky. The "baby"
cheetahs were 11 month-old Tess, Ruby, Rommel, Charlie, Matt,
Phil. Ah, Phil. It does not sound like a cheetah name to me but
with this many cheetahs, it's no minor task to come up with unique
names. The most prominent cheetahs were the three 18 month-old
outreach cats, Nikita (M), Nala (F), and Jemima (F). These three
would become our daily companions.

Since it was the end of
the day, the cheetah had already been ushered into their overnight
enclosure, so Pieter took us directly there with some other tourists.
When we stepped into the enclosure, the cheetah approached us
for some scratching. After petting them for a short while, I sat
on the ground and the big male, Nikita, sauntered over to me.
Not really knowing what he was about to do, I slow blinked him
and he flopped down on my lap! Pieter expressed surprise at that
behavior as he had never observed it before. (I am told Nikita
flopped on Judy Berens lap a couple weeks prior.)
Visiting the cheetah became a regular pastime of ours. Sometimes
we would interact with them, sometimes we would just sit among
them as they napped. This close interaction allowed us to discover
much about cheetah that you can't from books, TV, or even a zoo.
Some things we learned:
· Cheetah lick you and each other to show affection. As
expected their tongues are rougher than those of domestics. If
they lick your arm, it's barely tolerable. After about ten licks
they will catch a bit of your skin with their tongue and scratch
you. I suspect if you let them do this long enough, they would
get down to your bones. It is best to let them lick your palms.
When you scratch them, they like it best when you simulate another
cheetah licking by using a similar speed and stroke.
· Cheetah's tails are flat so they can be whipped from
side to side. You could learn that in a book. But that the book
would not tell you is the first one-third of their tail is round,
then most of their tail is flat-actually oval-and the tip of the
tail is round again.
· Most people know that cheetah's claws are not retractable.
At the Savannah, you'd learn that though the claws might not be
retractable, they can be extended further. Also their claws are
sort of dull like the rear claws of a domestic cat but not blunt
like a dog's. We could examine and manipulate the cheetah's paws
when they placed their paws on us. They did not tolerate having
their paws touched at other times.
· Cheetah are extremely lazy. I brought a video camera
but it was a challenge to see the cheetah in action. Even when
they want to change sides while sleeping, they won't get up to
reposition themselves. They just roll over.
· Cheetah aren't very vocal but they will chirp at perceived
prey. The youngsters chirped at each other while at play and to
get our attention for scratches.
· It doesn't take much to get a cheetah to purr. Just a
kind word or a scratch will do it.
· Cheetah like to play with balls but they tire easily.
After just a few minutes of running, they flop on their sides
panting. After cheetahs kill in the wild, they do the same thing.
Why the breeding success at the Savannah? I don't have many details,
as the recipe for the cheetah breeding success understandably
is something the Savannah Cheetah Foundation keeps to themselves.
I think a significant key is Pieter's background. He was born
on a farm. He grew up on a farm. He worked on a farm. And he was
farming when Bobby Hartslief hired him to manage the Savannah.
You see, Pieter has animal husbandry in his blood. After being
around it all his life, he just knows how to breed and successfully
raise any animal. This expertise somehow transfers to the cheetah.
Another important component is Pieter's wife, Estelle. She gives
the baby cheetah almost 24 hour interaction. In fact Pieter and
Estelle have built a special apartment connected with the cheetah
compound so they can give young cheetah intense care and socialization.
Estelle also oversees the lodge staff. The staff consists of three
ladies from the nearby town of Parys. The staff performs all the
chores one would expect in a hotel. The meals were delicious and
varied, though one recurring item at the breakfasts were a toast
somewhat reminiscent of a grilled cheese sandwich smashed flat.
Mmmm.